He's No Lance Armstrong!

After having my usual bike riding path altered by recent flooding on the Mississippi River, I decided to try another local path that follows a much smaller water source.

This bike path follows Duck Creek, which is noticeably smaller than the mighty Mississippi, but a pleasant change of pace. Amazingly, this creek was still in its banks, allowing bike riding, jogging and walking to go on undisturbed, save for a few puddles here and there.

My initial ride covered about half of the trail before turning around. Its kind of neat to have a trail that wanders right through the middle of two cities, only needing to stop for traffic at a few locations that had crossing lights in case of heavy traffic.

This path has several local parks next to it, including a couple places where you can play frisbee golf. Some of the spots have you riding through a canopy of over-hanging trees and a bit of quiet serenity.

At certain times it seems like you are no longer in the city at all, with birds, squirrels and rabbits as your only companions. In other spots, you can see houses and the adjoining paths leading to residential neighborhoods. Again, fairly quiet and relaxing.

Being the curious explorer that I am, I naturally had to see how far this path went and where it ends up. So I rode from one city to the next, with a few small hills here and there.

In a couple of these hilly spots I tried to shift gears to make the pedaling a little easier. Well, my bike gears aren't quite working correctly and I couldn't shift to a lower gear......so I tried my Lance Armstrong impression.

You know, the one where the cyclists are standing up while riding up the hills for greater power? To see someone 240 pounds doing this while riding a "comfort" style mountain bike was probably comical - and I'm lucky I didn't fall forward over the handlebars.

Well, by the time my ride was over I had been riding for close to an hour. Now, I had to turn around and ride back to where the car was parked. Good thing one of the local parks had vending machines with Gatorade, 'cause I needed it.

Since this path changes elevation as you travel from one city to the next, coming back I got to try my Lance impression a few more times as I went up the hills. I don't think I scared him out of retirement!

So my exploration led to a two hour bike ride and a new-found appreciation for small creeks and escaping into the great outdoors. So while people won't come here to view and photograph this little body of water the way they do the Mississippi, it's a nice little slice of middle America, without all the geese and their "mess."

My point, like the meandering bike path, is to find some type of exercise or activity that you enjoy and do it. Get adequate movement into your life to try and prevent disease and feel better.

Posture and Lifting Weights:

Is posture important when doing resistance training? You better believe it! If you have read any of my articles on shoulder injuries, you know that I learned about proper posture the hard way - by partially tearing my rotator cuff and excess (unnecessary) wear and tear on my shoulders.

I recently talked briefly with a 65 year old gentleman who had done a weight training exercise and felt something happen to his shoulder. I asked him if he was doing lat pulldowns behind his head and he replied yes.

I told him it was the exercise that did it and that the particular exercise may be okay for an athlete in their 20's, but not most people over 35. Personally, I don't think that anyone needs to do that exercise as the risks aren't worth the potential benefits.

Actually, the extreme shoulder position that the exercise demands is called the "at-risk position" for the shoulder, as it puts the shoulder at extra risk of injury.

As I said earlier, I learned this the hard way, causing damage to my own shoulder. This exercise wasn't the only reason, I had posture problems that contributed to my injuries. My point is, whatever you think of that exercise, someone over 35, who may have some postural issues going on has no business whatsoever doing that exercise.

It is much better to sit straight upright, reinforcing good posture, and pull the bar straight down in front of your head and not behind. You can do pulling and rowing exercises at various angles to strengthen the muscles of the mid and upper back, instead.

Same thing with sit-ups and crunches....... for most people over 35, this exercise will likely contribute to or reinforce poor posture. Since most people spend the majority of their day sitting or standing in positions of flexion, they don't need to do exercises that cause them to flex their bodies forward.

The muscles of the low back and abs need to be trained in a neutral position to properly support(stabilize) the spine. So instead of core strength, most people need to be doing more core stability - training the midsection to keep the lower back stable while the arms and legs are moving.

I get about two questions a day on this blog about situps causing someone's low back pain. In fact, a world-reknowned spine expert, Dr. Stuart McGill, believes that repeated flexion (sit-ups and crunches) put the discs of the spine at risk of injury.

His research shows that many of these positions put unnecessary pressure on the spine. So some people may do these exercises without any problems, but others may see injuries and others may see some problems further on down the road, in their later years.

So some exercises may be okay for some people, but put unnecessary risk on those with past injuries or posture problems. Make sure to work with a fitness expert who knows the difference.

By the way, for a cyclist who puts in hours on their bike in a forward flexed position, the last thing they should be doing is sit-ups.

Click here for more info on the "at-risk" shoulder position.

Click here for examples of core stability exercises in the neutral position.

A Prescription for Exercise:

Can you reduce stress with exercise and slow the aging process? Let's take a look.

A recent newspaper article addressed the issue of chronic stress and how it can accelerate the aging process. We know that chronic stress can cause or contribute to various physical problems, including muscular aches and pains.

However, did you know that long-term stress can cause you to age at a faster rate! Researchers looked at how stress build up affects your DNA. One part of your DNA in particular is a pretty good indication of how you are aging.

Women whose perception of stress was very high showed signs of accelerated aging in their cells. Exercise has always been one of the best ways to help deal with stress. We've known that regular exercise can slow down the aging process, but now we may know why.

Releasing stress build up through exercise is not only healthy, but may possibly increase how long you live.......another good reason to exercise.

A couple weeks ago, one of my clients came in after work and was more than a little stressed out over the last few weeks, not completely happy with her job.

The solution was simple - an intense workout that left her feeling a little tired and provided plenty of endorphins...... the natural drug and pain killer.

At that point, she had forgotten about the rest of her day and released some steam, and a little sweat, too. If she had gone home and not exercised, all that emotion would have built up into an unhealthy mess.

Some of you might need a more gentle form of exercise such as Tai Chi or joint mobility movements. Many of those who don't regularly exercise use "comfort" foods to deal with stress and that's not the most healthy way to go.

For more information on slowing the aging process with exercise, click here.

Rocco vs. Tiger - a "Tale" of Two Different Training Programs?

Did Rocco Mediate dip into the fountain of youth or is he using a revolutionary fitness program to compensate for his past battles with low back pain?

PGA golfer Rocco Mediate strikes a chord for all those over 40 who are still trying to compete with the "youngsters." The U.S. Open golf tournament came to a close yesterday with Tiger Woods sinking a putt to force a playoff today. Even with an obviously painful knee, we all thought that he had a good chance to tie, simply because of his track record on the big stage.

Besides the large difference in their rankings and number of wins, there is another huge discrepancy in the two players - their physiques. Tiger is well known for his hard work, on and off the course. He actually looks like he could play another professional sport, compared to most golfers who look like the average guy at the office.

Rocco, on the other hand, looks like most other Baby Boomers, who would rather spend time hitting a golf ball than hitting the weights at the gym. He has had past issues with his back, including surgery several years ago.

One thing that he is doing is using a Power Plate whole body vibration platform. These platforms are being used by several sports teams and several pro golfers to enhance their training regimens.

These vibration platforms are used to stretch, strengthen, and massage your muscles and are especially great as part of a warmup. They cause your muscles to contract reflexively between 25-50 times a second, making a fast workout.

They have also been found to be effective in preventing low back pain, something golfers are prone to. This year they have been included in the PGA Tour's fitness trailers for the players to use.

“I have found that The Power Plate has increased my strength, stamina, mobility and overall coordination – all critical elements to success on the golf course,” said Mediate. “Aside from these benefits, the Power Plate acts as a preventative measure, reducing the potential for joint or back related injuries common among golfers. Not only is the Power Plate my primary training method, it is the ultimate warm-up mechanism,” said Mediate. “All it takes is a quick 90-seconds or so on the Power Plate prior to beginning a round or hitting the range, and my body is completely warmed up and ready to go.”

Keeping up with Tiger has forced some golfers to focus more on their fitness levels and get in better shape. But if a busy schedule has kept you from spending time at the gym, using a Power Plate may be the answer. Training sessions can last from 15 - 25 minutes, depending on your needs and whether you incorporate other forms of resistance training with the platform.

Posture and Bike Riding:

I frequently see questions about proper posture for riding a bike. Well, it depends on the type of bike you ride and the type of riding you do.

Many of those over 50 that I see on the local bike path have old fashioned bikes that allow you to ride will sitting upright, maintaining good posture. Others have gone to recumbent bikes or tricycles that are more back friendly..... or maybe they are just very efficient.

In any case, whatever type of bike that you ride, its best to have a bike professional make sure that your bike is properly adjusted for optimal riding efficiency.

Even if you bought your bike at a large sporting good chain because you got a good deal or didn't want to spend too much money, its a good idea to have a professional check out your bike and make sure everything fits.

My comfort bike is a mountain bike meant for casual riding. It puts me in a slightly forward lean that can put some pressure on my upper body and neck, after a while.

This is where it is important to do some upper body strength training to stay in balance. Joint mobility movements for the neck and back also help remove excess muscular tension.
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A nice way to relax and ease some tension that may have occurred with the forward lean position in cycling is to lie on the floor and work on abdominal (diaphragm) breathing.

Can You Lose Fat With a Power Plate?

Yes. You can lose fat and increase your metabolism. I have seen decent results by combining the Power Plate with other resistance training exercises, such as bodyweight exercises, dumbbells, and resistance bands.

I have not used the Power Plate by itself, but apparently some people have seen some weight loss using only the Power Plate. My guess is, this would involve 3 sessions a week and these are people that had not been exercising, previously.

I like the method I am using, which incorporates other exercises in with the vibration exercises for maximal effect. This circuit training system also elevates the heart rate at the same time you are doing resistance training, making it pretty efficient.

Especially considering the sessions are only 25 minutes long and done twice a week. They can do walking or other forms of exercise on their own.

If all you can do is the vibration platform because of health reasons, you would still get some weight loss and health benefits. If using it at home I would recommend including other things like dumbbells, pushups, resistance tubing, etc.

You can do various pushup variations on your Power Plate, but I don't personally get that much from the upper body exercises using the strap that comes with it. This is where the dumbbells and tubing would come into play.

It also can be used to massage and stretch in various positions and helps you warm up or recover from exercise. These massage and stretching sessions can be done on your "off" days.

You can also use it to massage your legs to help battle cellulite. This increases blood flow to these areas and can help speed up your metabolism. Building lean muscle tissue is obviously important to increasing your metabolism and burning off extra fat.

To read more about using the Power Plate for fat loss, click here.